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Basic sugar cookie dough is dyed and twisted easily into these soft and tender gluten free candy cane sugar cookies. Add a touch of peppermint extract for some extra holiday cheer!
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First, thank you for all your wonderful baking recipes. I am trying to omit xanthan gum and was wondering just how important it is in cookies and do you ever substitute it with anything and if so what would the ratio be. I am new to GF, under a year and I have so much to learn when it comes to baking GF. It was so easy when I didn’t have to worry about gluten. ;-) Again, thanks for all your knowledge.
You can try replacing it with guar gum, Susan, but you need some sort of gum or you will have very crumbly cookies that will go stale quickly.
I saw peppermint extract at the store today and thought about getting it, but I didn’t have any particular recipe in mind, so I didn’t buy it. Should have known a recipe calling for it would appear here moments later! LOL I think this would be great with peppermint extract! I will pick some up next time I’m in the store so we can make these! So cute!
Just make ’em with vanilla, kitty. Just because they’re shaped like candy canes doesn’t mean they have to taste like candy canes, right? ;)
But I think they will be *perfect* with peppermint! And I always have to run back to the store during the week b/c I inevitably forget something! :D
My mom always put peppermint in the red part. and sprinkled crushed candy canes on top. Ours were often kind of dry, but these look like they have a really nice texture, and the rolling method looks like they will hold together better. Maybe I’ll share a couple with my mom.
Our flours arrived the other day. we are excited to start baking.but on the bag of my potato flour, corn starch,and potato starch it says it keeps best in the fridge or freezer. so do i have to keep the mixes in the fridge?
I was just talking to my daughter about trying to make this gluten free. :p) Now I wont have to guess.
Thank yooou nicoleee!! :)
Do you think a GF baking mix that already has the xanthum gum included would work too? Thank you!
Yes, definitely. On all her recipes that require xanthan gum, she just writes to omit if your mix already contains it. She used Better Batter in this recipe, and it already contains xanthan gum. Go forth and make candy canes! :)
Great! Thanks! I didn’t even see that.
Baking mix, though? With the leaveners already added like Pamela’s or Bisquik, or just a gf flour blend? The blend would work, but a mix wouldn’t, I don’t think.
Would hate to have them not turn out.
Thanks so much for jumping in, Donia! Love it when readers help each other out. :)
I love that these remind me of my childhood but I can actually eat them. I’m very new to GF baking and wondering if I can substitute earth balance for butter, to make it dairy free as well, or will I totally throw off the recipe. Any idea?
It’s sort of a “try at your own risk” type thing. But I have found a lot of success with half Earth Balance and half palm shortening. Butter contains some water. Earth Balance is VERY water heavy, whereas the palm shortening contains none. So I consider the mixture of the two a good substitution for the water/fat make-up of butter. (If you can’t tell, I’m a nerd.)
I always recommend half Earth Balance/half butter-flavored Spectrum nonhydrogenated shortening when replacing butter in cookies like these, Colleen. But as Donia says, you’ll have to experiment!
beautiful!
These are so freaking cute. I am noticing a trend with myself, I am attracted to adorable brightly colored foods.
Me too, Lauren!
Nicole these look great!
I’m baking today spritz cookies, reason is you can make loads in little time. I’ve been sewing up a storm, with 4 power failures here the past 2 weeks has put me behind on all Christmas baking and sewing…
I’m still baking with the girls this weekend for us and these are definitely on the list :)
Hubby got us a reliable generator so we can be better prepared for the next power outage :)
lucy – we made GF spritz yesterday – so dang yummy! make sure to use 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond extract – that makes them even more super yum-o!
Almond extract=heaven
Agree! I add it to my sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies–makes them divine!
That sounds great- I’ll have to try it! I like orange peel in my sugar cookies, and sometimes in my chocolate chip cookies. I love chocolate and orange together.
Thanks for the tip! The cookies were sooo good adding the almond extract.
Glad you’re prepared for the next time, Lucy! Although of course I hope there isn’t a next time. :)